The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly decided to adopt a 'wait and watch' approach with regards to its inclusion in the National Sports Governance Bill, which is set to be introduced in Parliament on Wednesday (July 23, 2025). Though the country's apex cricket body is not reliant on government funding, it will be required to take recognition from the proposed National Sports Board if the bill does become a law.
"Like all National Sports federations (NSFs), the BCCI will have to comply with the law of the land once this bill becomes an Act. They don't take ministry funding but an Act of Parliament applies to them," PTI had earlier quoted a sports ministry source as saying.
"They will remain an autonomous body like all other NSFs but their disputes, if any, will also come to the proposed National Sports Tribunal which will become the dispute resolution body for sports matter ranging from elections to selection," the source added in the report.
In response to that, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia was quoted as saying by the Indian Express that “the BCCI’s official stand is that we will wait for the Bill to be tabled in Parliament and get more details of its content. Then we will see what has to be followed.”
The BCCI has become a part of the Olympic movement after cricket was included in the 2028 Los Angeles Games where it will be played in the T20 format.
The long-awaited Sports Governance Bill seeks to institutionalise a strong framework for timely elections, administrative accountability, athlete welfare and reduction in litigation through a slew of measures.
The National Sports Board (NSB), appointed by the Union government, will have sweeping powers to grant and even suspend recognition of federations based on complaints or "its own motion" for violations ranging from electoral irregularities to financial misappropriation.
(With PTI inputs)
